Why Do Dogs Sneeze When They Play

As with humans, sneezing is very common in dogs. There are times in your daily life when you will see your dog sneeze suddenly while playing. As a responsible pet owner, these types of signs can easily lead us to question our dog's health. So, why do dogs sneeze when they play?

Why do dogs sneeze when they play? Is this an expression of emotion? Or is it a physiological reaction? Sneezing during playtime is a unique way for your dog to tell you that he likes to perform

This reason seems hard to accept. Considering that human sneezing is almost exclusively associated with allergies or colds, it seems strange to sneeze like a dog. However, this does not mean that all dogs are happy when they sneeze. It is also a symptom of some kind of illness. As a dog owner, you should make it a habit to watch your dog sneeze. , so that you can understand the changes in the dog's behavior and determine if the dog has a health problem.

As we said above, when dogs sneeze, they are signaling that they are expressing a preference for the current state of affairs. Sneezing in these types of situations is mainly related to the dog's happiness. Typically, sneezes in these types of situations are quick, subtle, and do not have any aggression attached to them. In addition, sneezing may become intense with the dog's emotions.

Why do dogs sneeze when they are playing? Is this an expression of emotion? Or is it a physiological reaction?

Sneezing is more of a form of communication than a response to the irritation of a dog's nose. Experts believe that dogs communicate in more than 30 ways, and sneezing is one of them. The reason the sneeze is quick and soft is that it is not caused by a forced air discharge from the lungs, which would otherwise cause respiratory irritation. Instead, a sneeze is simply a quick exhalation of air. Other than linking sneezing to dog pleasure, there is no substantial research pointing to the exact cause of sneezing. However, various theories have been proposed to explain the reasons behind sneezing.

First, some people believe that when dogs play, their noses wrinkle. The wrinkling is because their mouths keep curling up, which is what causes the sneezing. There are some dogs that are naturally prone to sneezing. In the human world, when we are in a state of arousal, we tend to exhibit our feel-good qualities. Dogs are no different. Playtime brings out the best in a dog and allows him to show his natural qualities, one of which is sneezing.

Several reasons why dogs sneeze

Dogs have a keen sense of smell, which causes them to be sensitive to smells. Sometimes when we see our dogs sneezing, we just think it's just a small problem with an itchy nose and leave it alone. In fact, there are several reasons why dogs sneeze, owners should not ignore!


Dogs sneeze for the following reasons.

1, because of a cold

Dogs with a cold will appear sneezing, runny nose and other signs, this time the owner can feed the dog a little cold medicine, and keep the dog growth environment dry and ventilated, while doing a good job of warm measures, you can give the dog to wear clothes, etc., do not let them sleep on the cold floor.

In the cooler weather, do not let the dog sleep on the floor, you can place a small nest for it, so that not only afraid of getting cold, the dog to develop good habits is also helpful.


2, stimulated by the strong smell

The dog's nose is very sensitive, a little stimulation may sneeze. Especially when smelling irritating odors, such as perfume, chili, some plants emitting odors and so on, it will always sneeze.

It is best for the owner to avoid using things with a large smell at home, and also to pay attention to ventilation, and usually do not take the dog to places where the smell is stimulating, which can easily lead to a reduced sense of smell, and the dog will often sneeze.


3, and companion means of communication

When a dog is playing with a companion, suddenly sneezing may be a sign of excitement or nervousness. When the game time becomes a little out of control, the dog's body will interrupt the game by sneezing, and the other dog will take the sneeze as a hint that it's time to take a break from this game for a while.

Dogs having fun in addition to sneezing incessantly, there will generally be other signs of happiness, such as sticking their tongues out, and soft eyes, and a very relaxed body.


4銆並ennel cough

One of the most common illnesses in dogs is kennel cough, a highly contagious disease that is somewhat similar to the common cold in humans and usually clears up quickly with medication, and is most common in dogs that have just come out of boarding or rescues.

Kennel cough usually causes the dog to cough, runny nose, dull eyes and watery eyes. If the owner touches the dog's throat, the dog will cough even more, and the dog should be taken to the vet immediately.


5, upper respiratory tract infection

When the dog suffers from a respiratory infection, there will be sneezing, runny nose and other symptoms, the owner should promptly take the dog to the hospital for medical attention.

Usually the dog's food bowl, water bowl should be cleaned and disinfected every day to avoid bacteria breeding on the food bowl.


6, play too excited

When the dog is too excited to play with the owner, it will accidentally get foreign objects into the nasal cavity, thus appearing sneezing and other stress reactions in an attempt to remove the foreign objects from the nose. When owners see abnormalities in their dogs, they should take their dogs to the hospital to have their nasal passages examined and understand the situation.

In addition to playing with your dog on a daily basis, you should also do a good job of training to let your dog know what not to eat indiscriminately and reduce the chances of choking on a toy by mistake. If your dog is greedy, the owner can feed it some dog snacks, such as chicken jerky and goat cheese are good choices.

How to respond to a dog sneezing

Occasional sneezing symptoms are usually self-curing and owners need not worry too much.
If it is an allergy, the allergen needs to be removed from the home, and in severe cases, anti-allergy anti-inflammatory treatment will be done.
If the vaccine is not done completely, you must pay attention to the distemper problem, if you suspect it, you can go to the hospital to do the relevant examination.
If you suspect that the cold is caused by temperature changes, the symptoms are mild, pay attention to warmth and nutrition, along with anti-inflammatory treatment, generally about a week will have significant improvement or recovery.


The dog should pay more attention to the physical state of the dog, find abnormalities to deal with in a timely manner, usually take the dog out more exercise, sunshine, good for the body, in addition to the diet does not advocate feeding too much human food, because the salt content in the leftovers is too high, the dog will eat only aggravate the hair loss, the life expectancy will also have an impact.

Another theory is that sneezing is a sign of calm. Maybe the game has suddenly become dangerous and your dog is trying to calm the situation down.

In short, everyone should know that dogs sneezing while playing is, in the vast majority of cases, dogs expressing their happiness, which is an ideal way for them to express their emotions, which explains why these sneezes are usually spontaneous and not conscious.